We have a small lot. About 1/4 acre which includes the footprints of two buildings. We've been building habitat connections for wildlife with a heavy lean towards pollinators. We're urban (big surprise) and when we first bought the property, we started laying the plant foundations with a special eye towards early and late season flowering plants. Little by little we've added numerous different birdhouses, several water sources, left some bare ground for native bees, etc.

One of the results of 20+ years of the pepper owners neglect and lack of oversight with contractors is that there were over 50 wires running from the alley to the main house. I called the various utilities to have them remedy the mess that accumulated. Between what they did, then some additional removals I made, we're down to six wires. I had planned on the long term goal of 0-1 wires. We've softened a bit on the wires due to bird usage. The wires are used constantly by birds as temporary roosts, the last stop before hitting the feeders and those awaiting a place at the feeders. This photo could be any given minute out there but in winter, there might be 80 doves on wires with over a hundred in the yard.



Anyway, we're now counting that as one of the ways the yard has been modified to accommodate wildlife. It left me thinking about other little things which could also support wildlife. For example, we've been looking at adding more cover for the lizards. At the same time we noticed container plants sitting on the ground would eventually have drainage holes blocked turning them into mini swamps. In order to address both, we propped containers up on bricks with fair sized gaps between them. Two birds, one stone. The result was immediate use by lizards, and pots again had decent drainage.

So, I'm wondering if folks here have some novel habitat mods they've made which can fit in a smaller urban garden?

We bought 8 small bird houses from Lowe's a couple of years ago. They were supposed to be Wren boxes but the hole was too small and the build inappropriate. However, I immediately saw their utility for nesting bumble bees. We mainly get Bombus impatiens and they commonly inhabit birdhouses. Success came a year later. Good for them and good for my tomatoes!

I have a number of artificial tube nesting habitats of several different materials that I created for solitary bees as well.

Anyone else?

These boxes are about a week from being installed:

The thread "screech owl/kestrel/flicker nest boxes" in Gardening for Butterflies, Birds and Bees forum

I have a bit of repair work due to a shop mishap. Excited to get them up though.

Well, I'm not on a small lot, but I think a bird feeder and a hummingbird feeder is something most anyone can do if you have the time to take care of feeders.

I currently have 9 feeders, four water sources, lost count of various types of bird houses, bat houses, bee houses, etc.

I run four hummingbird feeder at any given time but rarely have more than a couple hummingbirds. Keeping hope alive!

This is three months old but what the heck. I love the topic.

Two things come to mind:
-Brush pile, even a small one (tucked behind a shrub?) provides cover for ground nesting birds or critters your owls might want for breakfast.

-This is something I'm struggling with: how to balance clean up with plant and bee survival. We're in the country, so circumstances are different, but what I think I'm going to do is leave the leaf debris around the plants that attracted the most pollinators, especially late ones (asters, sedums, dahlia zone (though I still have to dig up the tubers). I put a bunch of hollow stuff in little patches, for nesting, and I know some bees dig under leaf litter while others bury in bare soil....so I'm doing my best to try to let their habits guide some of what I do and don't to prepare for the off-season.

And if a plant has seeds or hollow stems or winter interest I leave it up for birds, hibernating bees, and my bored January eyes.

Also, this might matter even though your yard is smaller: in the spring my focus goes to the warmest part of the yard first, and I don't rush to clean up areas where I know the soil is too cold for either plant growth or bees waking up. I just let it sit around until it's really in a position to perk up.

I created a number of small brush piles but his them behind larger plants and bushes. We use A LOT of leaves, lead mould, and compared leaves.

We've hidden stem bundles similarly. I built a number of bee houses with a few different sizes of hole sizes with straws, natural cane stems, and treats with routed tunnels.

Hoping to create a sandy area for sand nesters this year.

We don't rush to get rid of debris early either. We do a little now, and the bulk when we see growing tips in spring.

to your efforts. We do some of those various things. The lifted pots, great idea. We see lizards around the house. I collect interesting rocks from wherever and I think lizards might like the spaces between my rocks. Also local rock as edging. So it looks like decor but is still serving a purpose.
Got a queens tears bromeliad about 6 years ago, tree frogs found it and now live on the deck all summer and shelter in the plant or cache pot under it.